Roland joined King’s College London in 2013 from the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), where he was head of Biological Imaging and Assay Development. At NIBSC Roland developed advanced imaging techniques for the control and standardisation of biological medicines. He also developed differentiation protocols for human embryonic stem cell lines to allow them to be used as substrates in functional biological assays.

Roland has extensive experience and knowledge of low temperature biology and cryopreservation having investigated how cells and tissues both avoid and are damaged by chilling and freezing events. He maintains an active research focus, supervising both PhD and postdoctoral researchers and has active collaborations to advancing electron microscopy and ultrastructural studies of protists.

Roland also works closely with instrument manufacturers to advance cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-instrument development.